Chapter 1 Key Terms Flashcards
What was cognitive psychology’s view of Behaviorism?
Cognitive psychologists argued that behaviorism was overly simplistic and inadequate
for explaining complex mental processes like memory, problem-solving, and language
acquisition. Instead, they emphasized the importance of understanding internal mental
states and processes to gain a full understanding of behavior
How did behaviorism influence the emergence of cognitive psychology?
Behaviorism influenced cognitive psychology by introducing rigorous experimental
methods and a focus on empirical evidence. While behaviorists avoided studying mental processes, their emphasis on observable and measurable data laid the groundwork for cognitive psychologists to develop experiments investigating internal
processes. This combination of behaviorism’s methods and cognitive psychology’s
broader scope helped establish the field.
Who was one of the first people to link brain damage to specific behavioral
deficits?
Paul Broca was one of the first to link brain damage to specific behavioral deficits. In the 1860s, he studied patients with speech impairments, notably the famous case of “Tan,” who could only utter that single word. Broca found that these patients often had damage in the left frontal lobe, a region now known as Broca’s area, which is critical for speech production.
What were the first studies to reveal functional localization / maps in humans?
What was the method?
The first studies to reveal functional localization in humans were based on Gall’s theory of phrenology, which proposed that specific mental abilities were localized to distinct
brain regions. This was followed by Flourens’ animal ablation studies, which observed the effects of removing parts of the brain on behavior. While Gall’s methods were flawed, Flourens’ work confirmed some functional distinctions and challenged strict
localization for higher-order processes.
What are the primary differences between Gall’s phrenology and Flourens’
aggregate field theory?
Gall’s phrenology advocated for strict localization of mental faculties to specific brain regions and suggested that their development caused bumps on the skull. Flourens’ aggregate field theory countered this, arguing that complex behaviors involve the entire brain working collectively, even though specific regions have distinct roles.
Describe how Flourens’ studies supported or challenged Gall’s theories.
Flourens’ ablation studies supported the idea that certain brain regions had specific
roles, such as the cerebellum for motor coordination and the brainstem for vital
functions. However, he challenged Gall’s strict localization claims, arguing that higher- order functions like memory and cognition involved distributed processes across the brain. His work emphasized a more integrative view of brain function.
Describe one methodological innovation that advanced cognitive neuroscience.
Reaction time studies by Franciscus Donders introduced the idea of measuring mental processes indirectly. By comparing reaction times across different cognitive tasks, Donders demonstrated that internal processes like decision-making could be quantified. This laid the foundation for experimental approaches in cognitive neuroscience.
Edward Thorndike believed adaptive behavior/response is the basis for operant conditioning. It is learned behavior that reflects an individual’s social and practical competence to meet the demands of everyday living. Adaptive response refers to a behavior that an organism performs, which is followed by a positive outcome, leading to an increased likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.
Adaptive Response
A theory by Pierre Flourens that says the whole brain participated in behavior. The theory that all individual functions are performed by the brain as a whole, not as discrete parts. It is against the theory of localized brain function(specific brain regions = specific functions). Flourens developed
theory after his experimental ablations in the cerebrum did not lead to significant behavior changes in his pigeons.
Aggregate Field Theory
First studied by Hermann Ebbinghaus. The totality of an individual’s experience shapes mental development. It suggests that mental processes are made up of simple ideas that are combined to form more complex ideas.
Associationism
Established by John B. Watson. It is a psychologist’s theory that studies how people/animals learn and behave through conditioning. Behavior can be directly observed. Behaviorism influenced cognitive psychology by introducing rigorous experimental methods and a focus on empirical evidence. Cognitive psychologists claimed behaviorism was overly simplistic and inadequate for explaining complex mental processes.
Behaviorism
It was developed by Korbinian Brodmann, who used tissue stains that permitted him to visualize the different cell types in different brain regions. It is a system of numbered regions on the cerebral cortex that define functionally distinct areas of the brain. The areas are defined by their cytoarchitecture, or histological structure and organization of cells.
Brodmann areas
Discovered by Paul Broca by extending ablation studies to humans and studied stroke patients. It is in the left infeiror frontal lobe region for speech production. Damage to the area results in Broca’s Aphasia, causes difficulty speaking, and severe difficulty writing. Patients often feel they know what they wanna say but cannot produce the words.
Broca’s area
The study of internal mental processes. The action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding. It was influenced by behaviorism as they saw behaviorism as overly simplistic and inadequate and aimed to understand internal mental processes.
Cognitive Psychology
It focuses on understanding the biological foundations of human cognition. Its foundation was laid by Donders’ innovation of reaction times studies that introduced the idea of measuring mental processes indirectly
Cognitive Neuroscience
The study of the structure of neurons in the central nervous system. and how cells differ between brain regions; it involves examining the arrangement of neurons, thickness, size, shape, and density. Tissue stained by chemical agents are used to stain the sections, revealing the location of different neurons.
Cytoarchitectonics
The idea that all knowledge comes from sensory experience, that the brain beings life as a blank slate. Direct sensory experience produces simple ideas and concepts. When simple ideas interact and become associated with one another, complex ideas and concepts are created in an individual’s knowledge system. It is connected to associationism as they believed the aggregate of a person’s experience determined the course of mental development.
Empricism
First proposed by John Hughlings Jackson. It’s the idea that specific functions in the brain are associated with particular areas of the brain. Frist studies to reveal functional localization in humans were based on Gall’s theory of phrenology.
Functional Localization
There were limited methods for studying the brain, like only using autopsies that only provided static info. Early mapping techniques had poor spatial resolution; invasive procedures caused ethical problems. Brain anatomy and function can vary significantly between individuals, making it difficult to generative findings. Flawed assumptions about brain localization, like phrenology, lacked scientific rigor.
Historical Limitations of brain research
Parallel processing is the processing of multiple pieces of info simultaneously. It enables faster information processing and the ability to handle complex tasks by dividing them into smaller, parallel processes. Serial processing refers to info being processed in a linear fashion, with each step completed before moving on to the next. Serial processing handles only one piece at a time.
Information Processing
Described by Edward Thorndike as it is a key aspect of behavioral conditioning. It is a psychological principle that states that behavior that produces a positive outcome are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that produce a negative outcome are less likely to be repeated.
Law of Effect
A tool in understanding the relationship between structure and function in neuroscience. It is a technique that uses brain lesion locations to identify brain regions that are associated with specific behavior.
Lesion Mapping
The idea that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviors and functions.
Localization of Function
Developed by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, the nervous system is made of discrete individual cells; the transmission of electrical information goes in only one direction, from the dendrites down to the axonal tip.
Neuron Doctrine
